Doctor Who: The Wiki Series/G.O.N.E
G.O.N.E is a prequel to the events of Rose. It follows directly from the events of the Time War. The Doctor meets a beautiful, ageing aracnopiddle at a retirement complex, but when she disappears the next day, the Doctor has to hunt her down to a dubious facility, which seems to running an immoral operation. Can the Doctor save the world and be with his new love? Plot Under a crimson sky, the pool rose and sank heavily with every new body that entered. The waves rippled over the edge, spilling the contents of the pool onto the stained yellow deck. On this deck, lying upon a white plastic chair, the Doctor dozed noisily whilst the elderly people around partied wildly. He was at the "Old Aliens Retirement Home" on Planet Barbadeion. The Doctor, now approaching 900 and having just returned from the final days of the Time War, had decided that he must live his life in exile from the universe in this tiny but joyous communal home. His existence was reduced to soaking the UV rays whilst slurping on some cosmic drink. On the right side of his body, he felt someone tugging him and, opening each eye slowly, turned and looked to see who it was. "I’m Amanda", the creature said. She was humanoid in form; having two arms and two legs and standing upright. Yet her face was peculiar. It was incredibly rounded and eight eyes - all varying in size - dominated her face, with a tiny mouth sitting hidden beneath them. Greying, prickly hair covered her whole body and she seemed to be incredibly sensitive to the slightest touch. The Doctor couldn’t immediately recognise her species. "I’m…", he held onto the word, assessing which name he should now go by and if he could ever return to his past life, "John Smith." No, he couldn’t. "Nice to meet you, John. Do you mind me asking what species you are?", she said, all eight eyes surveying him. "Not at all. I’m…", he paused again as the memories slowly shivved back into his brain, "I’m human", he decided, internally rolling his eyes. "Oh, nice! I’m an Aracnopiddle, if you were wondering. Mind if I sit here?", she said, already sitting. The Doctor smiled. He didn’t really want to chat as he felt forced to lie and he didn’t believe he could continue making a backstory, but Amanda did most of the talking and he found her to be very intelligent and very interesting. She discussed how dull the retirement complex was now, but the Doctor noted that it seemed quite busy. She explained, however, that once it had been quite a rowdy place, with lots of old age drinking and lots of partying. Yet, people had gone now. After a few hours of talking, Amanda jumped up from her chair at the start of a new song and, taking the Doctor’s hand, said, "Come on John! I might be gone in the morning." Under an array of beaming strobe lights, the Doctor felt the prickles of her hairs all across his body as they swayed together. It was tickling sensation at first, but soon it made him tingle with a great excitement at his closeness to another creature. He felt the sensitivity that had been lost in that awful war. Her great eyes admired him as they gracefully crossed the dance floor, mingling with all other odd pairs of species untied by dance. "What wonderful eyes you’ve got.", The Doctor noted in his thick Northern accent. If those hairs had not covered her body, you would have been able to see her blushing profusely. "Thank you, Mr. Smith. These one’s aren’t mine, however.", Amanda said. "Oh, really?" He smiled. "I’m afraid not, these are my rose-tinted contact lenses", she giggled. "I wondered why you’d be dancing with an ugly fool like me", the Doctor laughed, flapping his ears to exaggerate them. As the sun dropped, and the crimson sky turned midnight black, the two dancers held each other tightly. The music slowly faded and the pair were the last couple left on the dance floor when the night was over. Taking his hand in hers once more, Amanda rushed the Doctor to her apartment. "It has been spectacular, John. But I cannot keep dancing for any longer, I’m an old girl, you know.", she giggled again. "Thank you, Amanda. I shall see you tomorrow for our next dance." He said. She just smiled in response and the two departed. ---- Once again, the crimson sky greeted the dosing Doctor, who now grinned in anticipation of another encounter with Amanda. He leisurely strolled to the deck in an old leather jacket he had never worn and place his towels upon two plastic chairs. Above his head, he had fixed a bright parasol to shade the pair and, on the table, he had placed Amanda’s favourite drink (which he had discovered was Flies’ Eyes the previous night). Everything was prepared for another lovely day. Yet, she didn’t appear. He waited for three hours before knocking on her door, but she wasn’t at her apartment either. He was wholly disheartened and sunk deep back into that depression that had brought him to the retirement home. "It is awful to think she’s gone. I don’t think I will ever do it." the waiter, who had noticed the Doctor’s sadness and had sat down next to him. "What?!", the Doctor exclaimed. "Oh, I am sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to bring it up, but most of the older folks accept it here.", the waiter explained, but the Doctor was utterly confused. "What do you mean? Where is Amanda?", the Doctor asked. "Gone, sir", he replied. "I know that, but where?" "Oh, sir, you don’t know, do you?" The Doctor shook his head. He feared the worst. But the waiter explained that Amanda was not dead. Not yet. When he said gone, he meant the institution. G.O.N.E stood for Gracious Old-Age Necessary Endings. Essentially, old aliens signed up to a service in which, when they reached a certain age, they would be taken away and euthanised because their time would be up. The Doctor believed this was absurd and immoral, yet the waiter said that all people have to consensually sign up to this. Promptly, the Doctor returned to the TARDIS, which he had parked around the corner in some disused alley, crowed with crumpled newspapers and long-forgotten rubbish. As the thrill of adventure began, once more, to pump around his rusty pipes, the Doctor clambered into his spaceship and headed to where the waiter had said he would locate his new-found companion. Perhaps now, he was no longer just John Smith. ---- Materialising into sight, the bright blue box was a stark contrast to the dull, banal grey of the G.O.N.E facilities. The Doctor had thought that, at the very least, the creator of such killing machine would make it look enticing, but he was utterly let down at the derelict and uninteresting building that stood timidly before him. With a new found attitude, the Doctor swaggered up to the glass doors of this warehouse-like place and pressed the intercom button three times. "How can I help?", a strangely cheery woman asked through a muffled speaker. "I’m here to close you down.", the Doctor declared with a sense of conviction restored to his voice. The doors automatically opened. Inside, a woman in a earthly matron’s uniform stood boldy awaiting the Doctor. Underneath the white veil, seated like a dead pigeon upon her head, hid her short blonde hair. Her skin was that of aged paper and the scarlet red lipstick she wore only helped to amplify the paleness of her skin. She was not old, but she certainly was not young for no young woman would dare wear the hideous red uniform she wore. "I am Matron Cofelia and I run this operation.", she explained, extending a warm hand to the Doctor. Refusing the gesture, the Doctor walked past her and examined the names on all the blue signs on all the grey doors in simple corridor. "My friend is here. I want my friend back… and then… and then I want you… gone.", the Doctor said, struggling to contain his emotion. "I’m afraid I can’t help you, sir. Your friend has willingly agreed to enter this facility and you cannot stop her. I’m sor…" "This is wrong! You know that? This is very wrong. It’s immoral. You’re sentencing people to a premature death!", the Doctor exclaimed. "What we do, Mr…" "Doctor." "What we do, Doctor, is ethically right. You don’t understand, but come with me and I’ll show you why people chose G.O.N.E", Matron Cofelia said sympathetically. Down through the corridor, past the door at the end, up the stairs to Level 2 and through the first door on the right was the Introductory Room. Fixed firmly on the wall was a pure white screen with the G.O.N.E logo (which was very plain, but blood red) projected onto it. Two plain, but very comfortable, blue sofas sat opposite the screen, which nearly encompassed the whole room. The Doctor was told to take a seat and to watch the movie which would explain everything. Kindly, the Matron gave the Doctor a drink and then turned the film on, whilst fixing her eyes firmly on the Doctor. Radiating lights exposed the whole room and the Doctor watched, almost unable to remove his eyes from the screen, as the womanly voice-over told him how prefect G.O.N.E was. ---- Meanwhile, Amanda scurried through the facility corridors. Wailing sirens above her head gave orders to 'secure the patient’ and radiating lights filled the hall as she tried to find some haven. Closely behind her, two doctors, with what seemed like shining guns, chased the aracnopiddle and spurted warnings at the distressed creature to remain still and continue with the procedure. Other patients also followed behind, watching this unusual spectacle. Up the stairs, weaving through Level 3, and past all the doors until she reached a sudden stop at a dead end, Amanda ran frighten at a new reality. She had suddenly become aware of something horribly wrong with the concept of ending her time so quickly. Amanda had so much to live for: she had a homely community waiting for her, a fantastic new friend and a great, re-found outlook on life. She no longer wanted to be gone. She shivered as she saw them approaching. She was doomed. Flashing their guns as Amanda stood trapped, the guards had victory now. Amanda wrestled as they restrained here. She screamed loudly. Then, she was overcome with rage. Glistening white webs shot randomly from the hairs of her body and the guards were covered in the sticky mess. Amanda quickly fled, but knew she would not reach the exit and so had to hide somewhere. It was at this moment, when she had reached this realisation that she passed a room marked "Patient: The Doctor". She had no reason to recognise this name, yet still, she felt pulled towards it. Slowly turning the handle, she peeked into the room. Inside, she saw a crippled John Smith. "John!", she gasped, "what are you doing here? You must get out, quick!" John was unresponsive, perhaps blinded by the bright lights continually flashing in the room. Amanda shook the frail man with all her might and soon his weak eye lids lifted and a smile tried to show itself. "Amanda, you’re here. I’ve come to die too. I’m long past my time.", he said, smiling and accepting death. "No John! You have so much to live for!", she shouted. "That’s not even my name Amanda. My name is the Doctor. I’m the last of my people, the last of the Time Lords. What have I got to live for?", he asked, beginning now to cry. "You have me to live for! And all the wonderful times we could have!", she pleaded. Just as the Doctor was about to respond, Amanda heard the sound of the doctors, who had clearly escaped from their webs. Closing the door, she held onto the handle while pumping webs into the mechanism of the door so that it locked tightly. All the while, the bright lights that were placed in every room continued to dazzle the pair, making the Doctor feel worse and worse about his predicament. The Doctor begged Amanda to join him in whatever awaited after death, but she held him for she had now seen the true reality of life. She had to live. As she too began to sob, she took out two of her contact lenses as her eyes were becoming too watery. Whilst she took them out, the Doctor began to laugh at the memories of last night’s jokes about her many eyes and those contact lenses. "I have one last request.", the Doctor giggled. "Oh, don’t talk like that!", she responded, hitting him gently, "What is it then?" "Let me try your eyes on!", he said. Hanging over her two contact lenses, Amanda laughed at the futility of the situation now. The Doctor placed them gently in his wide eyes and laughed to himself, pretending to be Amanda and exaggerating his blinks. Then he looked up. The lights flashed on. Then off. Then on. Then off. Now becoming aware of everything, the Doctor shook violently. "John! Doctor! Are you okay?", Amanda said, becoming frightened of his fit-like state. He stopped. He gazed around at Amanda. He had to live. "I will not be gone!", he declared, throwing his arms around Amanda. "What changed?", he said, gleefully hugging him back. "I don’t know. I just. I saw everything." "That’s it, Doctor! You saw it!", Amanda gasped understandingly, "Back when I first realised I had to live, I was just putting in my contact lenses. It literally changed the way I saw the world. Doctor, do you know what this means? Perhaps, they’re controlling our minds with the… with the…" "With the lights!", he shouted, now knowing all. "We’ve got to stop it Doctor! I only have eight contact lenses, but maybe we could switch off the power instead.", she suggested. The Doctor had a better and quicker idea. Reaching deep into his leather jacket pocket, he felt around for the instrument that would always be able to save the day. He pulled it out. He felt the groves of the newly-designed device. He set it to setting 3,400. The blue tip lit up gently and then shone brighter than all the lights gathered in the whole building. The Doctor’s beaming smile was lit up by that artificial light as the lights in the building began to sparkle and burst and then finally faded to a strange green colour. The new sonic screwdriver had served its purpose. Sonicing the sticky door handle, the Doctor, Amanda and all the other patients were now free. ---- Under a crimson sky, outside the G.O.N.E facilities, the Doctor stood twirling his sonic whilst the Judoon handcuffed Matron Cofelia. Her crimes against the elderly would be punished and she would likely face life in prison. Amanda embraced the Doctor lovingly and thanked him. He returned the thanks. "And where to now?", the Doctor asked Amanda, "Earth? Your home planet? Anywhere in space and time?" Amanda giggled and then replied, "Oh, I’m sure you could do it, Doctor, but I must stay here." The Doctor looked confused and then began trying to labour his point. "There’s no use trying to argue, Doctor. When I first realised I had something to live for, it was that retirement home and the people I met there. No Doctor, you must explore, you are so young, even if you don’t say you are. Go live! Go love!", Amanda explained, silencing the Doctor. He just nodded, hugged her and then parted ways. As he walked towards the TARDIS, he heard a buzzing sound, like that of his sonic, and checked his pockets, but found it to be there. Upon turning around, he saw the three flabbergasted Judoon soldiers and no Matron Cofelia. It seemed she had escaped, but he sensed he would see her again. Inside the TARDIS, he had time to reflect upon the wise words of Amanda and decided that he should live again. And, perhaps, he would find someone to love like he briefly had loved Amanda. The coordinated were now set for Earth - which he felt compelled to visit due to previously claiming it to be his homeland - and the Doctor sensed adventure before him.< "Fantastic!", he exclaimed for the very first time. See also *The Wiki Series *The 9th Doctor *Matron Cofeilia *Rose Category:Episodes Category:Stories featuring the Ninth Doctor